Hi crafty friends. It’s Kristine again and I’m back with my second project using the patriotic “God Bless America” collection by Carta Bella. In my last post, I showed you how to use your Julie Nutting stamps to create patriotic dolls for Independence Day. Next, I’m going to show you how to turn those dolls into a festive banner that you can display for the month of July. The best part about it is that the banner can be converted to a tag album when the holiday is over!
Supplies Needed
To start, you will need blue cardstock. I am using two shades from this pack of blue tones by My Minds Eye. It has a textured finish on one side, is a medium weight, and nice to work with. Next, you will need the Carta Bella God Bless America 6” x 6” paper pad. These smaller images will be the perfect size for the project. Also, I will be using several pieces from the Frames & Tags and the Ephemera packs. Using the coordinating pieces from the collection ensures everything matches. I will also be using the Firecrackers and Star Spangled Sprinkletz. These embellishments add a fun touch to the project. Of course, I will be using the three Julie Nutting dolls that I created in my last blog post!
To make the banner backgrounds, cut 6 pieces of medium-tone blue cardstock to 6” x 4 1/2”. From the bottom center, measure up 1” and place a dot. Then, from each bottom corner, draw a line to the dot. Cut out the triangle section, and repeat for the remaining five pieces.
Decorating the Banner
The middle section of the banner will be a shaker. On one of the banner pieces, place a die cut in the center of the piece to cut out the shape. Alternately, if you do not have a die cutting machine, you can draw a square and cut out of the center of the piece. Next, use double sided tape with a piece of acetate to cover the opening. Using either foam tape or chipboard, add two layers around the shaker window. Then, add the Sprinkletz Firecrackers and Star Spangled confetti pieces. Finally, align another banner piece on the back to close up the shaker. I fussy cut a piece of the pinwheel paper and glued it to the background of the banner so it is visible through the shaker window.
Select some of the ephemera pieces to decorate the front. Using foam squares, adhere one of the Julie Nutting dolls to the front of the banner in the center. Lastly, adhere some of the Sprinkletz around the outside.
The remaining four pieces will be constructed in the same general manner. I will be using some of the 6” X 6” papers as well as fussy cutting some images from the papers. Select the various pieces from the Frames & Tags and ephemera packs. I chose to back several of my pieces on light blue cardstock to make them stand out. Also, some pieces are adhered with foam squares to give the banner dimension.
Banners 1 & 2
For the first banner, cut the red stripe paper to 4 1/2” x 4 1/4” and glue 1/4” from the top. Then, fussy cut a piece of the pinwheel paper and glue to the bottom. Next, fussy cut a piece of the triangle banners and glue diagonally from the top right corner. Use foam to adhere the Julie Nutting doll to the left side. Then, add some of the Firecrackers Sprinkletz along the top of the banner as well as on her hat and shoes.
To decorate the second banner, cut a piece of the star paper to 4 1/2” x 4 1/2”. Glue 1/4” from the top edge. Then, select various pieces from the ephemera pack and frames & tags. Pop up “Stars and Stripes” and “Land of the Free” on foam tape and adhere the pieces to the banner. Finally, add some of the Firecrackers Sprinkletz to the top and bottom.
Banners 4 & 5
For the fourth banner, cut a piece of the red polka dot paper to 4 1/2” x 3 3/4” and glue to the bottom, starting at the tip of the triangle. Next, select pieces from the frames & tags and ephemera packs. I chose to back two pieces on blue cardstock first. Then, use foam tape on “Red, white, and Blue” and “The Fourth of July” pieces and adhere to the front of the banner. Finally, add some of the Firecrackers Sprinklets around the banner.
To decorate the fifth banner, cut a piece of the red plaid paper to 4 1/2” x 4 1/2” and glue 1/8” from the top. Next, cut one piece of the border strips and glue to the bottom, starting at the tip of the triangle. Fussy cut some of the pinwheels and glue to the top lefthand side. Then, add the ephemera pieces and the Julie Nutting doll. The doll and “Happy Birthday America” are popped up with foam squares. Finally, add some of the Firecrackers Sprinkletz to the banner.
Decorating the Back Sides
I like to make my craft projects not only beautiful, but useful, too. With that in mind, I designed this banner to place photos on the back sides. That way, after the holiday, I can simply fold it up and create a mini tag album!
To decorate the back sides, select one of the decorative papers and cut 5 pieces to 1” x 4 1/2”. Add a thin layer of glue or double sided tape to the bottom edge only. Adhere this piece to the top of the banner so that the top of the decorative paper is open (to slide the ribbon behind later). Then, select a second piece of the decorative paper and cut 5 pieces using the banner as a template. Glue these pieces to the bottom triangles of the banner. Finally, cut 10 pieces of the decorative paper to 1/4” x 4” and glue one piece on each side of every banner. The middle section will be covered by a photo (4” x 4” size).
Stringing the Banner
I will be using three separate ribbons to string my banner together. Measure 4” from the end of the ribbon and tie a knot. Then, slide the ribbon between the front banner and the 1” strip on the back of the banner. Add glue to the top of the 1” strip and glue closed. Next, measure approximately 5” of ribbon and add the second banner by slipping the ribbon between the front of the banner and the 1” strip on the back. Add glue to the top of the 1” strip and glue closed. Repeat this process with the remaining three banner pieces. Finally, measure 4” from the side of the banner, cut the ribbon, and tie a knot next to the last banner piece. I also cut more ribbon and tied it between each of the banner pieces.
These are what each section looks like when finished and on the ribbons.
I really enjoyed working with this Carta Bella collection. The vibrant colors and Americana images are perfect for patriotic projects. Not only can you use your scrapbooking papers for festive decorations, but you can turn them into a wonderful memory-keeping album, too! I hope you will consider the “God Bless America” collection, available at www.fotobella.com, for your next project!
Happy crafting,
~Kristine, FotoBella Design Team Member